-LRB- CNN -RRB- Valentine 's Day is big currency in China , a nation obsessed with love , romance and dating .

In fact , the Chinese are so committed to the day they celebrate it twice . There 's qixi , China 's equivalent to Valentine 's Day , which takes place in August , as well as the global version coming up on Saturday . Both are embraced with gusto by couples across the country .

In the spirit of the season , we 've put together a tongue-in-cheek guide to getting a date in China that also aims to shed a little light on the pursuit of love in the Middle Kingdom .

1 -RRB- Head to a park . They 're a real-life Tinder

Every weekend in China a strange , albeit charming , ritual takes place -- the parents of China 's singles frequent their local park in order to match make on behalf of their children . They bedeck the park 's trees with their offspring 's college photos and sheets of paper listing their key dating characteristics . Why not visit your local stretch of green this Saturday then ? It 's the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone -- meet your future love and your future in-laws .

2 -RRB- If you 're from Beijing , work it

Remember that 1990s film `` Green Card '' starring Andie MacDowell and Gerard Depardieu ? It did raise one key dating point -- passports and permits matter . Nowhere else is this more so than in China , where one of the top assets people look for in a lover -LRB- after the oft-cited house and car -RRB- is whether they have a permit to the city they wish to live in . The hukou , as it is known , is tied to a host of social benefits . With it , your life is easy . Without it , not so much . If you happen to have a hukou that allows you to live in one of China 's premier cities , be sure to let lots of singles around you know .

3 -RRB- Parents are a useful resource . They might even join on a date

The family remains the cornerstone of Chinese life -- and love . Therefore , it stands to reason that parents/siblings/aunts / uncles/pets are very involved in everyone 's dating destiny . When not found in a park trying to `` pimp '' people out , they will be gossiping with neighbors , friends and co-workers about said person 's single status and how to change it . You can fight this centuries-old tradition or you can embrace it . The major catch ? They might join you on a date . It 's not uncommon for relatives to chaperone their children on romantic soirees in China .

4 -RRB- If you 're a single female , head to the countryside !

You 've probably heard that China has more men than women -LRB- 118 boys to 100 girls , to be precise -RRB- . Then there 's the common cliché that Chinese women `` marry up '' and Chinese men `` marry down . '' The result is that supposedly `` second-rate '' men are being left out of the dating world altogether . These guang gun -LRB- bare branches -RRB- , as they have kindly been named , typically reside in the countryside . Alpha males , by contrast , make their way to the city . The silver lining -LRB- if you 're female , that is -RRB- ? There are now entire villages full of Romeos waiting for their Juliets .

5 -RRB- If you 're a single man , head to the cities !

Following on from the above point , China 's alpha females reputedly struggle in love . If they 're single and over 27 , they 're derided as sheng nu -- leftover . If they have a PhD , they 're not even regarded as a true woman . Instead , they go by the putdown `` third gender . '' If you see through these labels and the propaganda surrounding them , you 'll appreciate that China 's cities are full of some of the most savvy , intelligent and interesting women on the planet .

6 -RRB- Go online !

By the end of 2014 , 649 million Chinese were registered as online . Plenty see the Internet as love-line number one . China now has the largest number of online daters . The nation 's singles can peruse a buffet of sites , from those that promise to find you the one , to others that are more wired towards one-nighters -LRB- although the trend is much more towards the former than the latter -RRB- .

7 -RRB- Rent a boyfriend/girlfriend ! Yep , you can do that online too

The pressure to wed has become so extreme in China that an entire industry has sprung up around faux dating . Take a tour of Taobao , China 's most popular online marketplace , and vying for your attention against countless cyber flower stalls and jewelry brands that emerge for Valentine 's Day are the stores that offer something more unusual -- fake partners . For a price , your fake boyfriend/girlfriend will accompany you back to your parents , to the cinema , to dinner , anywhere you want really . They 'll play the part in every way except going all the way .

8 -RRB- If you still feel unsure , call up a love guru

Do not despair -- there are now love gurus in China , who , taking their cue from American TV show `` The Game , '' will offer men advice on how to successfully chat up women . Walk slightly in front and to the side of the person you wish to court -- that 's just one tip taught in these classes . Other jewels include dressing better and spending less on the object of your affection -LRB- yes , you read that correctly -RRB- .

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Chinese are so committed to Valentine 's Day , they celebrate it twice .

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Parks and parents play a big role in the Chinese dating scene .

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Single men should head to the cities , women to the countryside .